3 Underrated Soft Skills You Need to Secure a Leadership Role

The business world is quietly facing a leadership crisis. Across industries, we’re seeing a concerning pattern: technically brilliant managers struggling to truly lead their teams. 

It’s not about strategy or operational metrics anymore—these remain important, but they’re not what’s breaking. The real challenge lies in human connection. 

When leaders lack essential soft skills, the impact ripples through entire organizations. Companies lose $322 billion annually to turnover and diminished productivity—a direct result of employee burnout and disengagement.

The solution lies in mastering the often-overlooked soft skills that transform good managers into exceptional leaders. This guide reveals the crucial interpersonal abilities you need to build resilient teams, foster genuine engagement, and step confidently into senior leadership roles.

Empathy

Empathy often gets dismissed as a “nice-to-have” in leadership—a soft touch in a hard-results world. This misconception is costing organizations deeply. True empathy in leadership means understanding your team at a fundamental level and using that understanding to drive better outcomes. 

The numbers speak volumes: research by Catalyst reveals that 76% of employees working under highly empathic senior leaders report consistent engagement, compared to just 32% under less empathic leadership. 

But what does leadership empathy look like in practice? It’s the ability to step away from your perspective and truly grasp your team members’ experiences, challenges, and motivations. 

It’s understanding that your marketing manager’s missed deadline might stem from an overloaded schedule rather than incompetence or recognizing when your high-performing analyst is showing subtle signs of burnout before it impacts their work.

To strengthen your empathy as a leader:

  • Practice active listening without jumping to solutions. 
  • Schedule regular one-on-ones that go beyond project updates. Ask about challenges, career aspirations, and potential obstacles they’re facing.
  • Before making decisions that affect your team, pause to consider the impact from their various perspectives. 
  • Acknowledge and validate emotions in the workplace. Create an environment where team members feel safe expressing concerns without fear of judgment.

Storytelling

Storytelling is one of those skills that can transform good leaders into unforgettable ones. In a world drowning in data and metrics, those who can weave compelling narratives stand apart. 

Research shows that storytelling has a remarkable ability to connect people and inspire action. Anthropologist Mary Catherine Bateson explained it best: “Our species thinks in metaphors and learns through stories”. 

Similarly, Tim O’Brien, acclaimed author of Vietnam War narratives, called storytelling “the essential human activity”.

In a business setting, storytelling helps leaders communicate vision, build trust, and motivate teams. A well-crafted story can turn abstract goals into relatable, actionable ideas for your co-workers. 

It bridges gaps between data and emotion, letting you create shared understanding in ways that PowerPoint slides and project plans never could.

To enhance your storytelling capabilities:

  • Start collecting meaningful anecdotes from your professional journey.
  • Practice structuring your communications around a clear narrative arc.
  • Use specific, vivid details rather than generalizations.
  • Learn to read your audience and adapt your stories accordingly.
  • Invest in continual learning. Consider exploring education doctorate degrees such as  Doctor of Education (EdD). 

Upskilling while balancing a full-time job, family, and other commitments can be extremely challenging, even for the most diligent individuals. Thankfully, leadership education programs such as these are 100% online, making them ideal for busy professionals like you who are seeking practical, high-impact knowledge to hone their leadership abilities. 

If you are serious about improving your organization and leadership skills, now you can accomplish your goals without having to put your current responsibilities on hold.

As noted by Spalding University, these programs focus on practical skills that turn theory into real-world solutions. It’s an opportunity to learn how to craft messages that inspire action, build trust, and drive positive change.

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Adaptability 

Industry experts believe adaptability is the secret to surviving highly volatile times. If you think about it, your technical skills can probably be replaced by AI and your careful strategies can crumble overnight, but your ability to adapt? That’s what keeps you and your team moving forward. 

This goes deeper than just pivoting business plans. It’s about how you respond when your team’s needs suddenly change, when market demands shift, or when the unexpected hits. 

Developing adaptability as a leader means cultivating both mindset and practice. It requires seeing uncertainty not as a threat but as your pathway to growth. 

Here’s how to build this critical skill:

  • Challenge your assumptions by actively seeking perspectives different from your own
  • Take a breath before reacting to surprises—respond with intention instead
  • Build flexible frameworks rather than rigid plans
  • Give your team room to experiment and take calculated risks
  • Start small. Next time you face an unexpected challenge, pause. Consider three different approaches before defaulting to your usual solution. 

Give Yourself the Human Edge

Here’s the ultimate truth about leadership: technical expertise gets you to the table, but it’s your human skills that make others want to stay. The soft skills we’ve explored in this article are your competitive advantage in a world where connection matters more than command.  The future of leadership is human. Make it yours.

Photo by Pavel Danilyuk

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